Team from Korea wins $2 million DARPA robotics challenge

Robotics experts from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology snagged a $2 million prize during a DARPA contest. The United States government opened up a challenge to create a mobile robot that can work in environments too hazardous for humans.

Six different countries participated in the competition, with DARPA needing "the tools to effectively respond" to humanitarian disaster relief missions, DARPA official Brad Tousely told the AFP. Robots were scored on tasks that included opening a valve, breaching a wall, how they handled debris, and how it adapted to the surrounding environment.

The HUBO humanoid robot is 5'9" and weighs 176 pounds - it can roll on wheels while kneeling when not using bipedal mode to walk.

A team from the Institute of Human and Machine Cognition won a $1 million prize for finishing in second place, while the Carnegie Mellon University National Robotics Engineering Center won $500,000 for third.